The AL Forgotten
by Red Wright
Summary: The DigiGuild is a military system, comprising of all Chosen Children, under the command of the four Digimon Sovereigns. Uproar runs through their ranks when a shady character breaks effortlessly through their defences and leave behind a haunting name.
1. Prologue

PROLOGUE

The flickering light cast his shadow dancing across the dungeon walls, howling soundlessly. The boy paid no mind to the foul breaths of the growling and snapping jaws on either side of him, each big enough to swallow him in a couple of bites. He did not mind the tight grip of the velvety hands on his shoulders. All that mattered was that he was ready. This was it.

"Don't forget." He could feel the dangerous smirk behind him as black claws dug lightly into his flesh. The boy gave no verbal reply, immune to the allure in its voice. Instead he gave a nod. The beast released its hold on him and backed away, powerful claws clicked on the dungeon floor and echoed hauntingly as it did so. The boy took a deep breath and closed his eyes; his shadow sprung from the walls and grabbed him, wrapped him in folds and with a loud roar it exploded into thin air.

They were gone. In the second before the flames died out, an unfathomable expression crossed the beast's face.

----

Takeru Takaishi fixed his undecipherable eyes to the breaking dawn and frowned. Something about the new day bothered him greatly.

"Is something wrong?" she asked; his ears picked up the faintest hint of concern in her voice.

Takeru shook his head, shot her a quick smile and returned to his breakfast. In the five weeks she had known him, she knew better than to prod any further, especially not this early in the morning. So she tucked the matter away and they ate in silence. It was Sunday, she sighed inwardly and glanced at him, why was she so lucky as to be stuck with him on a Sunday?


	2. Chapter 1

CHAPTER 1

The sudden variety of colours stunned him and blinded him for a second. It was tempting to take a spell to take them all in but pressing matters was at hand. He scratched his nape. A deep spine-chilling voice haunted the air and addressed him.

"_Stay alert to all things at all times. Do not forget that while this dimension is inferior compared to home-_"

The word struck a chord deep within but the boy showed expert indifference.

"_Home_," The voice emphasized, sensing the stir, "_they have the advantage of human youths among their rankings. These youths are our foremost threat._"

"I need no lecture." The boy muttered. Airborne amidst the clouds, he turned a circle, noting his bearings before he nodded. "That way."

----

He had gotten in unseen, naturally. It was easy but he kept his focus all the same. He had skilfully navigated his way through the dark canyon and avoided detection. He stole soundlessly deeper into the cave.

The colossal tunnel opened up to an even bigger space. The air was still and cold. His eyes gleamed an eerie green and he could see as clearly in the absolute darkness as he could in broad daylight. There in the middle of the clearing lay a slumbering creature, its size fitting for its abode.

His reflexes brought him pressed against the cold rough wall of the cave when the creature stirred in its sleep. His eyes darted around for a plan as the creature settled back into its peaceful rest. Once all was still once more, he jumped an extraordinary height to a small outcrop in the cave wall, a perfect angle from which he could strike. He crouched as low as he could and eyed his target almost carnivorously. There it was, just like the others, unguarded and ready for his taking. He readied himself.

The creature's ear pricked and he grinned.

"Hello." He taunted under his breath.

There was a loud blast and smoke blew out of the cave opening. He burst out of the smoke, made a 90 degree turn and shot straight up to the sky. The creature charged out of the cave. Its powerful golden claws dug into the rocky cliff like a brake and brought it to a halt, growling as it watched the figure disappear into the heavy grey clouds. It let out a loud infuriated roar that ricocheted throughout the canyon, awaking everything in it. The intruder had gotten away unscathed.

Once he was back above the clouds, he took a second to examine his loot. A yellow orb the size of his head glowed in his hands. The boy brought it to his chest and grimaced as he slowly pushed it into himself.

"Well, three down." He grunted. "These things are heavy."

"_Not the time to start whining. We have one more to go._" The voice replied.

"I know that. I'm just saying."

He cut through the heavens eastbound into the midday sky. He headed for the high mountains, to the sacred lair of the blue dragon: Azulongmon.

----

"Something the matter?"

Rika Nonaka jumped a mile in a heartbeat though it was in her nature to recover in the next heartbeat. She stared at him. Takeru smiled; he had always confused her. One moment he could appear mysterious and aloof and the next he could be warm and kind, and cute if Patamon sat perched atop his head.

"_He's just like that."_ Taichi Yagami had once said to her after she was first introduced to her mentor. _"Don't let him get to you. The only thing you or anyone of us can ever understand about Takeru Takaishi is that he's not someone you would want to mess with. As a comrade, he is to be valued and respected. As an enemy…"_ Taichi paused forebodingly. _"Well, just don't get on his bad side."_

Those words still rang clearly in her memory and she knew they were true.

Takeru raised his eyebrows. She still hadn't answered him. She shook her head.

"No sir."

"You know you can drop the formality right?" he said with a sheepish scratch of his nape.

"Yes sir."

Takeru laughed. The warm cheer in his spirit was a kind that could threaten a smile onto her face. Patamon's jaw snapped shut after a yawn and he patted Takeru's blond hair.

"I'm hungry."

"You're always hungry." Takeru furrowed his brow at his Digimon partner and turned to smile at her. "We can stop for lunch. You decide where we should eat, Rika."

Rika, Renamon and Patamon gave each other a glance and replied in unison.

"Digitamamon's Diner."

Takeru laughed again. "Alright then. Digitamamon's it is. It's a little more than a mile-"

Rika jumped once more when her pocket started to vibrate and beep. She and Takeru each pulled out a device from their pockets, its shape designed to fit snugly into the palm of their hands. They were beeping, vibrating and flashing red lights.

----

In the forest on the eastern border of Kappa-4 half a dozen beeps chorused.

Miyako blinked at the device in her hand. "Huh?"

The very next second, a blast shook the earth sending the six youths staggering for balance, followed by another blast that was the sound of the Temple alarm.

"This is not a drill!" Daisuke Motomiya barked; Veemon digivolved into Raidramon. "Pack it up people! Let's move!"

At his command, his team scattered, mounted their respective digivolved partners and set off in the direction of the emergency.

----

"Mealtimes are sacred times of the day." Pegasusmon grumbled sorely behind his helmet.

"Any time that suits you is sacred." Kyubimon retorted, her voice steady and calm despite running, her strides in leaps and bounds, with Rika on her back. They were dashing through the forest.

"Of course they are. If you would just loosen up a bit and enjoy the food you eat, you'd find them sacred t-" his head jerked backward and he halted abruptly when Takeru tugged on his mane. Kyubimon stopped too.

"Quiet!" ordered Takeru. "Listen..."

Rika strained her ear to hear past the unnatural silence of the forest. She could hear it, barely audible but she could tell it had the power of a jet plane.

"Let's go!"

----

He dodged another blast of fire. He had stolen the last orb he could which gave him a total of four now. As he zigzagged through the forest, running and leaping, he could detect Digimon and their human partners in pursuit of him. 22 pairs of them in a ten mile radius. He could sense their presence, he could pinpoint their individual location, he could gauge the exact speed at which they travel, he could _hear_ them.

"_Virgo, Ursa, Cetus, come in!"_

"_Yes sir!"_ voices of three boys answered.

"_Taichi, we're en route to the Blue Mountains."_ One of them said.

"_Daisuke, the intruder's headed your way-"_

Another voice crackled in. This one came from the group from the north. "_Takato here, the intruder's changing course. Takuya, he's headed for you – if it could be called a he."_

"_I see him." _This must be Takuya. Bewilderment set into his voice. _"…It's got a tail…like Renamon's!"_

"_Zero in now! The intruder, whatever it is, must not escape!"_ Taichi's voice directed firmly through the receiver.

The intruder stopped abruptly in the middle of a small clearing where he was surrounded by 22 DigiDestined, he learned they called themselves, and their Digimon partners in fighting stances.

"Buddy," Taichi called out. Judging from the fierce and wizen leadership in his voice, he was clearly the one everyone answered to. "You are so dead."

The intruder ignored and leisurely turned, glancing from one face to the next, each one of them committed to his memory, until he came back to Taichi's. Their instant and efficient response to danger impressed him; he however would be more impressive. So he smirked.

Sensing the next move, Taichi roared, "Fire!"

And the DigiDestined opened fire in tactical precision and timing, aiming at the intruder and never once even nearly graze a comrade. The DigiDestined were no novices in battle. They had been trained well and they work well in any improvised number. They shifted around, weaving in and out of trees, shooting up into the sky, digging into the ground, building momentum to dodge and strike but still they could not land a single hit nor never once even nearly graze the intruder.

He stood in that same spot and parried the oncoming attacks with his open palms. Nothing could injure him and though the DigiDestined never realized, he made sure no harm came to them either. The parries directed all attacks elsewhere.

"That's impossible!" Sora Takenouchi gasped under her breath.

The intruder smirked and with a simple swatting motion of his hand, a powerful shockwave spiralled outward sending the DigiDestined flying and crashing through the trees to land a mile away. Their Digimon were reverted back to their Rookie forms.

"Taichi!"

Taichi grunted as he stood up among the debris. He turned around to see Takeru and Rika arriving at the scene. "Takeru our Digimon are exhausted and we couldn't even faze him."

Rika felt her blood run cold in her veins as she looked at the unknown figure standing in the middle of the clearing, unaffected by the destruction, looking back at her and Takeru through his opaque black visor, waiting.

"Gather the 'Destined, Yagami, and stand down." Takeru ordered in a low voice. The change in his voice created a new air about him, one that was terrifying and dangerous.

"Yes sir."

Takeru fixed his undecipherable eyes on the intruder. The intruder stood a lean but strong 1.75 metres tall. He had unkempt coal black hair and his complexion was fair. He looked to be a normal teenage boy...Takeru's eyes narrowed. Save for that coal black fox tail that swatted the air cautiously.

Then, it struck him.

"_Young Master?_" The bodiless voice called telepathically. The dark haired stranger clenched his jaw grimly behind his visor at the thought of fleeing in the face of a formidable adversary. He was eager yet hesitant. He was confused as well but pressing matters were, after all, at hand.

"We leave." He affirmed and shifted his gaze over to Rika before rocketing skyward.

"Come back here!" Takeru raged and took to the sky after him. Murmurs of disbelief and amazement rang through the crowd of DigiDestined left behind on the ground.

"_Here he comes!_" the voice warned. Takeru proved a little faster than anticipated and he tackled the intruder in mid air. The intruder kneed Takeru in the chest to loosen his hold and kicked him away.

Takeru regained his footing in mid air. "You're another Gifted aren't you?" he asked, his heart was racing but he managed to keep his breathing even. Despite the opaque black visor that disguised his face, Takeru feel himself look him in the eyes.

"Gifted?" the intruder repeated with cutting amusement. "Is that what he calls us?"

"_Master, do not fraternize. Put in the codes._"

"Who's that?" asked Takeru. He doubled his guard. "And what codes?" He produced a hilt from his left boot. The intruder did nothing nor said anything but simply levitated there as if in deep thought...or indecisive. Hesitant even.

Takeru was normally a patient person, but when he is provoked, patience has lost its place in his nature.

"Answer me!" Takeru bellowed. As he charged at the intruder, metal materialized from the hilt to form a blade. The intruder blocked the blow with his gauntlet but the impact shattered both weapon and armour. The intruder cursed under his breath. Takeru swung a hammer fist with hilt in hand directed at the intruder's temple. It left a crack in the visor. The intruder whirled around and delivered a kick to his chest. Takeru stumbled backward in the air, back flipped and propelled himself at his opponent with a succession of punches, all of which was swiftly evaded. The intruder caught one of his fists in mid action and grabbed Takeru's throat with his other hand.

Takeru struggled for breath as the intruder's grip tightened a little more. "Who are you?" he snarled through gritted teeth and desperate breaths. He could sense the intruder frown.

"You don't know?" the intruder asked in return. His face showed indifference but his voice seemed different, there was an emotion in it that Takeru could not identify but it seemed familiar. It sounded curious, hurt; innocent even. It sounded human.

Takeru brought a shaky palm near the intruder's chest and generated a small blast of fire. It was weak, a feeble attempt but using the momentum of the blast, Takeru pushed himself a safe distance away.

They hovered in the sky as small figures to those watching below, in a stalemate, each with their right hand outstretched and their palms facing their adversary like an armed weapon.

"Do I...do I _know_ you?" Takeru gasped for air.

Just then something underneath his shirt glowed. Takeru tugged on the chain and pulled the tag out.

"The Crest of Hope." The intruder whispered in awe.

"What...?" white energy crackled from his fingertips and flowed inward to form a blinding sphere. Takeru winced at the pain that struck his right hand like a knife through it. He had no control over the white energy and the sphere kept growing.

"Answer me." He growled, veins popped up as he strained under the pressure in his hand.

The intruder felt another chord was struck deep within but again, he showed expert indifference and he smirked, a red orb of energy materialized before his open palm. Takeru grimaced; he had no control, he had no choice.

"Takeru!" Rika cried. Many others gasped in shock at the white and red explosion that sent another shockwave sweeping the area. Two figures fell out of the sky at a dangerous speed with no means of safely landing. One of them broke through the forest canopy, breaking branches as gravity continued to drag him in while the other crash-landed outside the forest. The latter's impact created a ripple of miniature tremors.

"Virgo, tend to Takaishi. Take Rika with you." Taichi yelled pointing deeper into the forest. He turned to the others. "The rest of you secure the intruder!"

----

"Takeru!"

Takeru lay unmoving in a bed of dirt, weed and broken branches. Sunlight poured in through where he came crashing in, bathing him.

"Takeru!" Patamon called out again perched atop Rika's head. Rika skidded on her knees to a stop beside the DigiDestined. He bled from the many cuts and gashes he had sustained.

"Is he dead?" Daisuke asked with slight crassness in his voice. It earned him a couple of glares. Iori shook his head.

"No, but he's badly injured."

Rika pushed aside his messy and bloodied fringe. "He's burning up. We need to get him to the infirmary. Help me get him up." She took his arm and slung it around her neck while Ken did the same with the other. They lifted Takeru up onto Kyubimon's back and Rika mounted behind him, letting him rest on her.

"Will you be alright getting there with him like that?" Ken asked.

"I'll be fine. I'll see you back at HQ." he nodded and Kyuubimon took off with Patamon in tow. Daisuke watched their figures disappear through the trees. "Hope and Light." He mumbled and heaved a dramatic sigh. "Alright people, let's head on over to Taichi's and give 'em a hand."

----

"Is he dead?" Zoe Orimoto asked, kneeling down beside the motionless intruder.

"No he's still breathing." Joe Kido confirmed with a nod. He checked the intruder's breathing again and then his pulse. "He's just passed out. We should get him back to HQ before he comes to."

"Right." Taichi nodded. "Bind him. Twice."

Takato and Takuya produced lightweight but sturdy metal shackles and proceeded to cuff the intruder's wrists and ankles. "And call for reinforcements."

"Yes sir."

Osamu and Sora fell into step beside him grimly.

"You are one difficult son of a bitch." Osamu muttered with irritation to the unmoving figure at his feet. Sora slipped her hand into Osamu's. Taichi shook his head and spoke in a hushed voice.

"We were at the Temple when it happened. We were right there in the Chamber with Azulongmon when it happened. None of us could detect his presence. He just suddenly shot out of the shadows and snatched a Digicore."

"And blasted his way out through the Temple walls." Osamu muttered again, sorely.

"Did you see the looks on Azulongmon and Gennai's faces?" Sora asked. Her eyes studied the intruder.

"No. Why?"

"It was as if they'd seen a ghost. They were surprised to the point that they froze rather than react." She said softly, in deep thought. "I saw fear in their eyes."

----

Gennai gritted his teeth. Light from the several monitors built into the wall reflected in his stormy eyes. He suppressed the best he could but he still trembled. It couldn't be. He thought as a memory burn before his mind's eye. _The sky was stained crimson, possibly bleeding and in pain as the Kernel was torn from the core. He heard their screams and pleas for help. He turned around to see _him_ with the boy in his arms._

It couldn't be.


	3. Chapter 2

Just some minor edits. Enjoy! R&R

* * *

CHAPTER 2

Takato Matsuda sighed and slumped further onto the cafeteria table. "How much longer is Gennai gonna keep us in the dark on this?"

The four teams were gathered in the headquarters cafeteria. Tables were pushed together and chairs were drawn haphazardly. They were all under orders to remain within headquarters until told otherwise which meant that they had absolutely nothing to do. Teams from other regions that were up to it were to fill in for them and patrol the Eastern Region while they idled in the headquarters cafeteria.

"It's only been a day." Kazu said as he tried delicately to draw a moustache on Koji who had fallen asleep in the chair next to his. Kenta, MarineAngemon, Koichi, Lopmon and Terriermon stifled their snickers and giggles as they watched. Koji's face twitched but he did not stir.

"Gennai did say he'll debrief us when Takeru wakes up." Suzie piped up and she giggled when Koji slapped Kazu's hand away.

"How much longer is he gonna keep sleeping then?" Takato grumbled almost childishly.

"Have they even interrogated the intruder?" Ken asked, navigating the conversation away from Takeru for he knew good things never happen when Takeru is disrespected.

"No." Osamu sighed lazily and stroked Tsunomon on his lap. "No one has been let near the intruder since his capture."

"I wonder why." Ken muttered, to which Alice McCoy simply shrugged.

"Maybe they're waiting for Takeru to come to." Taichi suggested with an absentminded thoughtful pout. Everyone, except DemiVeemon, jumped when Daisuke slammed his palm down on the table.

"I still can't believe the dude can fly!" he exclaimed.

DemiVeemon suddenly sat up straight, "And did you see that blast he made? Out of the palm of his hand?" he showed his palms.

"Awesome." The younger boys swooned. A dreamy silence veiled the air. Hikari Yagami leaned over to Sora. "Do they even realize Takeru was even _able_ to fly?"

Sora leaned in too with a blank expression on her face. She retorted, "They've had a long day, they probably just didn't want to think anymore."

Another silence ensued. Some were swept away by awe; others were melting under the heat of the afternoon and the lack of activity. It went on and as it did, Koushiro watched Mimi out of the corner of his eye. He knew she noticed him, and he returned her a smile when she glanced at him and nudged her chin in the direction of the infirmary. "Rika hasn't left his side since has she?"

----

Renamon watched them from the shadows in the corner. Rika had dozed off an hour ago at his bedside. Takeru had been tended to and was now resting in one of the beds in the infirmary with Patamon pretending to be asleep at his feet. He was too worried to fall asleep.

Renamon's ear twitched. Takeru stirred and opened his eyes. The first thing he saw was a pair of sneakers. He smiled. Rika sat snoozing in the chair next to his bed, her arms crossed and her chin rested on her chest. Her feet were propped up on the mattress. He knew Renamon was close by, in the shadows and he could feel Patamon's weight next to his feet. He had just lifted his head when Patamon spun around with his blue eyes big and round.

"Takeru you're awake!"

His little outburst startled and woke Rika. She sheepishly withdrew her feet from the bed and shifted her chair closer. She asked how he was feeling.

"I'm good." Takeru nodded thoughtfully as he rubbed Patamon's round tummy. "How long was I out?"

"A day. There have been a lot of questions about what happened with you and that intruder."

"I know."

Patamon's big blue eyes darted back and forth between them. When he was sure the conversation was not going to progress any further, he cast a glance at the shadows in the corner. Takeru looked up when Rika got up, "I'm supposed to inform Gennai that you're awake." She said with a small smile.

She patted his foot and Takeru watched her leave through the double doors. He continued to look at those doors as he spoke. "Honestly Renamon, why do you keep hiding in the shadows?" he playfully jeered. "Rika, Patamon and I can always sense where you are."

Takeru and Patamon shared a chuckle when Renamon's presence disappeared from the room.

----

Aged voices boomed angrily and echoed in the Chamber of Council. The four Digimon Sovereigns of the DigiWorld were all gathered in the Eastern Quarters to discuss the matter at hand.

"_We_ let him get away?!" Ebonwumon's two voices bellowed indignantly.

"Of course you did! You didn't even know he had gotten in and out and stolen a Digicore until _my_ messenger came bearing the news!" Zhuqiaomon growled back and challenged him with a fiery blast of flames down his back.

"Lords! Lords, please!" Gennai called out from the middle of the grand chamber. The great Gods fell silent.

Their sizes varied but the Gods were massive creatures. The room in which they gathered was grand even by their standards. Its grandeur could contain a mountain or two. And the silence that echoed was amplified by the grandeur.

"What of the boy?" Baihumon finally asked. Gennai nodded.

"Takeru is resting. His injuries were minor; he had merely passed out from exhaustion."

"That blast was beyond his usual power." Zhuqiaomon remarked. "I suspect it was the Crest of Hope that was in play."

"It was." Azulongmon clarified. "The Crests now have become mediums through which the children can channel and unleash their innermost potencies."

"But the Crest of Hope has been inactive for almost two years. Takeru could not even make Patamon digivolve into MagnaAngemon."

"The intruder must have reactivated it then."

"Which begs the question: who is this intruder?" the black tortoise of the North asked the question no one else would.

"He is a Gifted. Could he be one of them, my Lords?" Gennai asked, looking up at their faces.

"That's impossible!" Zhuqiaomon dismissed the idea angrily. "They were destroyed in the Last Light! You know that."

Baihumon got to his feet. "Now brother, we left before we could make certain of their demise. The Last Light would have taken us along with it had we stayed."

"Which concludes that they were destroyed." Ebonwumon too got to his feet. Tension of a dispute rolled in like a thunderhead.

"But what if there was intervention?" Baihumon persisted. The dragon and the oldest of them kept his thoughtful reserve.

"Absurd! Who could possibly be so powerful as to stop the Last Light?"

"The Younger Gods perhaps?" Gennai suggested.

"No, we the Elder Gods couldn't have prevented it, how could they even with their powers combined?"

"Who then, brother?" the white tiger asked. Silence befell them as fear snaked its cold slippery hands around them.

"But…it couldn't be." Gennai whispered, the colour from his face drained.

"It _couldn't_ be. We were all there. We _all_ saw it. He was gone!" growled Baihumon and he pawed the marble floor restlessly. Anxiety stirred the others.

"Silence brothers." Azulongmon ordered and turned to face the grand double doors of the chamber. Their demeanours drastically changed to that of composure. "Yes Rika?" he called.

"Pardon my intrusion my Lords." Rika slipped in through the gap between the enormous doors and greeted them all respectfully with a bow. "He's awake."

----

"Takeru! Buddy! How are you feeling?" Taichi greeted cheerfully. Takeru accepted the hearty handshake and pats on his back with a merry smile.

"Are you even well enough to be up and about?" Sora asked, hugging him carefully.

"Great to see you up and about." Osamu said, only to be shot with a glare by his girlfriend. Takeru chuckled.

"Hey sugar!" Mimi squealed. She and Hikari reached their slender arms around Takeru's broad shoulders for a hug. Rika grinned sheepishly.

"Those gashes were a bitch eh?" Joe kidded; Joe was chief medic in the Guild. He naturally had to tend to severe injuries. Takeru shook Koushiro's hand next. "Indeed. Good to see you're well."

Virgo, Ursa and Cetus filed into the boardroom after them.

"Settle down please, 'Destined." Gennai said, standing at the front of the room. Priority went to the older DigiDestined, so they got the good and comfortable seats. The rest took the remaining chairs. "I know you all have many questions regarding yesterday's incident. I will be glad to answer what I can."

Daisuke's hand immediately shot up into the air.

"Yes Daisuke."

"How was Takeru able to fly?" the team Virgo leader asked. At this, Sora shot Hikari a knowing glance and the two girls stifled their giggles. Everyone, except Rika, turned their attention to the said blond Chosen.

"Ah. That. Yes well, as many of you so very well know, Takeru Takaishi has been a child of the DigiWorld for as long as he can remember. He was found wandering the world, starved and broken ten human years ago." Rika glanced at her mentor. "We, the Sovereigns and I and many researcher Digimon, have not been able to decode the uniqueness of his abilities that is to spin data."

"Spin data?" Sora asked.

"Takeru is able to take data particles from his surroundings and spin them, transmute them into anything that he wants." At this Takeru gave a small exhibition. He transmuted the chunk of the table around his hand into a croquet ball before transmuting it back into the table. "To fly, he simply had to transmute the gravity around him and defy it."

Takato's hand was up this time but Gennai immediately added, "But it is much easier said than done." And Takato's hand disappeared from sight.

"Have we identified the intruder?" Osamu raised the next question with a chorus of agreements from the other DigiDestined.

"No, unfortunately we haven't been able to."

Everyone jumped when Takeru spoke; his voice was cold and grave. "I want a word with him."

----

"…_You underestimated him._" The voice stated bluntly.

"I know." The intruder replied mentally. He heaved a soft lazy sigh. Since he came to, he had been sitting on the floor of a cell with his wrists and ankles shackled to the wall. Twice.

"_He kicked your ass._"

Behind his visor the intruder's eye twitched. There was a short pause and then, "Shut up, Gecko."

The intruder looked up when door slid open and Takeru Takaishi stepped in. Their eyes met and locked.

"Wait outside Patamon." He said. The Digimon began to protest but Takeru ordered once more and Patamon grudgingly flapped his way out of the room. The door closed and locked its four automatic deadbolt locks.

"Well, good to see you up and about." The intruder mocked cheerily.

The cell had walls of mirror that anyone would know were one-way glass like those of an interrogation room. In the rooms on the other side of the glass were Hydra, Virgo, Ursa and Cetus. While the holding room was well lit, the other room was not. It was darker to allow the magic of the one-way glass to work.

"Those chains are made of a special digital material that not even Gennai could escape." Taichi whispered to the younger DigiDestined, it was the first time the latter three teams were allowed in there. Gennai shot Taichi a dry look.

"Thanks Taichi."

"And you." Takeru nodded. He crossed the floor and squatted down in front of the intruder. He glared through the visor and said, "I know you."

The intruder pulled his head back to look him down the side of his nose.

A shadow crept along the floor under Rika's feet in the other room.

"Have you really forgotten me?" the intruder asked in a whisper. In the moment of absolute silence everyone could hear it.

"Who are you?" Takeru countered, his voice was raspy with bewilderment. The intruder leaned forward as far as his restraints would let him. Takeru leaned in and as did everyone else in the other room.

"I…" the intruder whispered.

The blacker than black shade soaked up the wall behind her.

"…am…"

From the shadows, Renamon felt the slightest drop in the temperature. She felt the smallest of a draft stirring the air.

"…Akira…"

She sensed it. But she was too late.

"…Kaito."

The shadow roared and pounced from the walls and grabbed Rika, swallowing her into the darkness. It burst through the impenetrable one-way glass, shattering the code encrypted mirror and seized the intruder. Takeru was thrown back against the opposite wall.

"Rika!" Renamon reached for her but with another piercing roar the inky wisp burst into smoke and it dissipated just as quickly.

Takeru snapped out of the deathly fear of the name that had gripped him to realize, "Rika!" that she was gone.

----

The rip of void in the air spat them out and it sealed itself up. Rika was slammed side first into the coarse sands of barren land. She could not move. She tried to breathe but each breath filled her lungs with thick and heavy air that drowned her. Her vision grew dimmer but she saw a pair of black boots walking towards her. With one last effort she pushed herself onto her back and looked up at the face of the masked intruder. He cocked his head sideways and the visor fell apart at his will.

"Takeru?" she called out weakly, confused, before darkness consumed her last image of consciousness.


	4. Chapter 3

I got this updated as soon as I possibly could. R&R

* * *

Chapter 03

"_Pity if she's dead._" The voice grunted. It sounded different in this realm. Instead of eeriness that would scratch at the spine of anyone who heard it, it sounded plain gruff and brooding and it echoed normally. "_Total waste of our effort._"

Akira pulled a dry look at himself. He was kneeling beside the unconscious redhead; his fox tail swept the sand. He pulled back the locks of hair that fell across her face. "She's just yet to adapt to the atmosphere here. She'll be fine."

The voice took a deep breath. "_It is _good_ to be back._"

He glanced around. For miles, he knew, dead land stretched. There were not many colours here, just the pale sand and the sky that was always purple, a different hue at different times of the day. He remembered the blinding few seconds he took to adjust to the vast variety of colours of the DigiWorld. "I suppose." He finally said. He did feel somewhat homesick.

"_We're in R-30; Paw's Inn is the nearest shelter around."_

Akira lifted the girl gently and placed her securely up upon his back, her arms around his neck and his arms locked behind him to serve as a support underneath her. Without much effort, he got to his feet and began his trek across the desert towards Paw's Inn.

"_What are you going to do with her?_" the voice asked.

"I don't know yet."

"_You will have to bring her to him. He would demand it if you don't._"

"I know that. But we're taking her home first; get her out of harm's reach and then I'll go talk to Grandfather. Bringing her to him too soon could made things troublesome."

Akira could sense a frown in the voice. "_Yes…but don't you reckon Mother is capable of just as much harm to the girl as any Digimon out here, if not more?_"

"True, Gecko, but look," Akira looked up at the sky, there was a faint silhouette of a crescent moon, "it's a new moon in a couple of nights. Someone will be home to keep her in line."

"_If you say so._" It said as if shrugging. "_But Young Master?_"

"Yes Gecko."

"_How much longer do you reckon I'll have to stay like this? It's cramp in here._"

Akira grimaced at the thought. "Not long I hope. Now that the engagement's over, maybe Grandfather will agree to break the encryption."

He could feel Gecko almost beam with satisfaction. Akira shifted the girl into a more comfortable position and sighed, looking up at the gloomy purple sky. "So Takeru _Takaishi_," he said with that recognizable enigma in his eyes and voice, "do you remember me?"

----

"_Takeru.__"_

_Takeru opened his eyes. His pupils took in the colours but oddly his brain did not seem to register what they were. He could not even tell if his vision had focused yet or not. All his other senses were numb as well, it felt as if he was standing, or floating, suspended in a void of space._

_A scrawny six year old boy stood clearly before him, with hair and eyes darker than night, looking up at him inexplicably. He was battered, bleeding and his clothes were tattered and torn. Takeru knew who that boy was; there was no mistaking those eyes. He remembered those eyes from a time long past, those eyes that had seen more than they should; they had seen the things that Takeru knew he had forgotten._

"_Hello Takeru." The boy greeted him again._

"_Akira?" his voice echoed unlike an echo. "Tell me, why do I know you?" Takeru asked, nonplussed. He asked even though he knew he wouldn't get the answer._

_The boy smiled sadly, a sudden aged wisdom emanated off him though his voice still sounded his age, childlike and innocent. "Please remember me. I'm still here. I'm still waiting for you."_

"_What __am I supposed to do?"_

"_We need each other." Akira smiled, fondly this time and reached his small hand out and took hold of Takeru's._

Takeru opened his eyes a second time. His pupils adjusted to the darkness of his room. He has had similar dreams before, but this time, this time he could place a name to the face of that little boy though he still could not place the little boy anywhere in his memory. His forehead creased into an exhausted exasperated frown. He got up and walked towards the floor length window, his reflection stared back at him like Akira Kaito had. It had been less than a day since Akira Kaito's escape and Rika's abduction, the entire Guild had been in uproar.

----

The eyes of the Gods gleamed a thousand emotions in the light of the holographic projection of the event that shook their very cores.

"_I…am…Akira…Kaito."_

The code encrypted glass wall shattered and the video turn to white noise and static. Gennai rewound the video and played it again in slow motion. For a split second, just before the glass wall burst into pieces, Akira Kaito looked to the camera with a smirk. Gennai paused the playback, the holograph of Akira Kaito still smirking at them in the middle of the Chamber of Council.

"There is no doubt." He said solemnly, turning to face the majestic digital gods. "The Last Light had failed."

The Gods had ordered protocol Delta-Red to be set into motion the moment they all had recovered from the shock that was Akira Kaito. Then they retreated to the Chamber of Council for another round of debating. Gennai had been playing them the security videos so they could study whatever they could of Akira Kaito when he had broken into each of their respective Quarters and stolen the Digicores. The finale was that of the interrogation room. And they had studied the holographic intruder in silence.

"How?" Zhuqiaomon growled, his hotheadedness had to argue. "The Last Light was a mass of masses of destruction. No one could possibly stop that."

"Father could." Ebonwumon countered and meekly averted his eyes from his brother's. Zhuqiaomon snapped, "Do we honestly have to go through this again? Father is gone. Dead! Long before the battle of Last Light. If he was alive he would've stopped it before everything was destroyed."

"Evidently everything was _not_ destroyed." Baihumon retorted. He was looking at the smirking holograph, seeing the face behind the visor.

"In any case," Azulongmon cut in, finally speaking up, "the intruder is gone now and has taken Rika with him. We haven't a clue as to where they might have gone so all we can do is cover all our bases. The Children will have gathered by now and are waiting. After we speak to them, we will send out a party to interrogate Dragomon and any other Digimon who could play accomplice to this. I have proceeded to call in Ebemon and his researching team to look into the matter of the intruder's method of departure. The Children will have to begin preparations to deter any such incidents in the future. Their exercise regimes will be put up several notches."

Gennai and the other Gods nodded, "Agreed."

"But the Children, especially those of Hydra, Virgo, Ursa and Cetus," the god of the north said, "they were there, they witnessed it all. They will ask questions and they will want answers. Everyone will want answers."

The gods turned again to the holograph that still taunted them. Baihumon sighed, "Then we shall tell them a story."

----

The wooden front door banged open from a powerful kick. Paw fell out of her hammock that hung over the reception counter and looked up in awe as a tall hulking figure in black walked in.

"I need a room, Paw."

"Ah Akira, you're back! The Immortals' room's always ready. This way." Paw the BlackGatomon and innkeeper ushered Akira, who still had Rika upon his back, up the stairs and down the corridor, round the bend and to the furthest door. She held the door open for Akira.

"There we go." Akira laid the still unconscious Rika on one of the beds and tucked her in with somewhat awkward movements. He cocked his head sideways again with an indecisive face.

Paw watched from behind. "New friend?"

Akira almost jumped, having momentarily forgotten she was still there. "Oh, yes she is. Paw we're starving and I need a phone." He said and plopped down onto the other bed. Paw held her gloved paws together.

"Sure thing Akira, but I'm afraid no special phone privileges. There'd been some mishap while you were gone. Payphone's downstairs. Where's your phone?"

"I was travelling lightly." Akira grunted as he pulled off his right metal plated boot and then his left. They fell to the floor with a loud clink and a thud.

"Alright. I'll send the food up later."

"No need. I'll head down after a shower." Akira unclasped the clasp on the cloak and tossed it onto the nearest wooden chair.

"Yes you definitely need one." Paw said with disgust, her eyes on the boots on the floor.

"_You're exaggerating. I don't smell anything._"

"Shows how weak you are." Paw trotted out indignantly with her nose in the air, using her tail to close the door behind her. But just before the door closed, she said, "Nice tail by the way."

Akira snorted while Gecko growled. After his shower Akira came down the stairs quietly in his plain clothes, without his armour or boots.

"Table's ready." Paw said, yawning as she passed him. She leapt onto the counter and once more into her hammock to resume her disrupted sleep.

"Thanks Paw. Goodnight."

A flick of her tail in response and she was out like a light. Akira inserted a couple of coins into the green payphone under the stairs and punched in a series of numbers. The phone rang a couple of times and was picked up on the third ring. Akira had only managed to say "Hey I'm-" before he was cut off by an extremely cheery voice.

"Hey! You're back! Where are you? I'll come pick you up."

He couldn't help but smile. "Hi Jaarin. I was hoping you'd say that. I'm at Paw's."

"Sure thing. Sit tight, I'll be there by sunrise." And she hung up the phone.

----

"My Children, all these years we the Sovereigns have led you all to believe that the Hydra team comprises of the Original DigiDestined, the first group of children to be chosen by us." Baihumon paused and glanced back at his brothers; he had drawn the shortest straw. They all nodded at him to go on so he turned to the patient audience. "You have been misled. In ages past there had been another group of children. _They_ were original DigiDestined. And Takeru Takaishi belonged to this group."

The DigiDestined stirred and craned their necks in search for the said one who was nowhere to be found.

"They had been called upon by our late Father Sovereign Huanglongmon to aid us in the Gods' Strife, a conflict between us and another god who reigned the Dark Lands of the Digital World. His name was GranDracmon."

The name sent shudders down the spines of human and Digimon alike.

"GranDracmon had devised a plan to steal the Kernel, the core of the Digital World, and use it to create a new world for him to rule. In an ambush by GranDracmon, Huanglongmon had been mortally wounded which led to his final hope that was to summon the children.

"In the climax of the Strife, which is to be called the battle of Last Light, GranDracmon succeeded to steal the Kernel but failed to complete the creation as he was confronted by the Children. In battle both sides fell. While we fought off GranDracmon's army, all around us the Digital World was reduced to shattered pieces while the DigiWorld was created in the distant space and was forming, almost complete. Our three younger gods, Seraphimon, Ophanimon and Kerpymon saw the old world for the lost cause that it was and ordered us and the many other Digimon who fought along side us to depart for the new world. They gave their lives to seal the gate behind us and sever any digital links between both worlds.

"Months later we found young Takeru wandering the world. He was the sole survivor of his pioneer generation of DigiDestined." Ebonwumon shook his heads grimly. "Years had soon passed and we all believed that the Digital World had faced total annihilation. The dark ages were behind us. But we were wrong."

"We had met Akira Kaito once before," it was Zhuqiaomon who now continued the story, "on the battlefield of Last Light. He was a clone created from the darkness to imitate not only Takeru Takaishi's likeness but his abilities as well. He was one of GranDracmon's weapons against us. And with his return, we have every reason to believe that the Last Light – annihilation – was failed and that GranDracmon is still very much alive."

"And he has found us." Azulongmon added. The Children murmured again loudly with surprise, fear and mainly confusion. The Sovereigns glanced at each other, each of them suddenly looking old and tired.

At the tables away from the crowd where teams Hydra, Virgo, Ursa and Cetus sat, Alice McCoy pressed a button of a compact device she had hidden in her hands and stopped the voice recording. She caught Suzie Wong's eye two tables away and communicated with a curt nod.

----

It was sunrise when Rika finally stirred but she did not wake until behind her closed eyelids the last few memories played vividly. At the end of it, Rika sat up abruptly and she saw that she was sitting seemingly unharmed in a king sized bed in a sort of motel room. The room was big and had a similar bed next to hers. A red overstuffed cough sat against one wall between two oddly shaped windows while a battered wardrobe stood opposite it beside the open door to the bathroom and there was a round wooden table with three chairs in the centre. Rika noticed the other bed had not been made; someone had slept in it recently.

The doorknob suddenly turned and Rika instinctively wanted to jump into a fighting stance but the fleeting adrenaline upon waking up was gone and what was left was complete fatigue. So she just sat there and put on a glare when Akira Kaito walked in with a BlackGatomon sitting on his head. Rika froze; the image of them bore a striking resemblance to that of Patamon on Takeru's head.

Akira Kaito looked exactly like Takeru. Every single detail was identical, save for his hair and eye colour and that tail.

"Told you she'd wake up today." Akira said, not to her. Paw and the bodiless companion both huffed; Paw grumbled as she produced three silver coins and slapped them into Akira's open palm. Then she hopped onto the empty bed.

Akira pocketed the coins and looked down at Rika. "Can you stand?" he asked impassively.

"Where am I?" she snapped at him, putting the glare back on her face. His voice was coarser than Takeru's.

It surprised even Paw when for some reason his inner cold demeanour faltered momentarily and he answered her with jest perceptible in his impassive voice, "Finest room in Paw's Inn."

And the BlackGatomon beamed toothily at her rendering her completely unable to glare anymore. Rika stared at them, trying not to look exasperated and incredulous.

"_Are you trying to be sociable?_" Gecko sniggered in his head.

Rika caught a glimpse of unease in his stance and noticed that his right hand twitched.

Akira was resisting the urge to show any discomposure by scratching his nape but he gave in and did it anyway with a tired sigh.

"Look, I'm not going to hurt you." He said quietly and a little solemnly. "My name's Akira-"

"I know that."

He paused for a couple of seconds. "Alright, so can you stand?"

Rika looked up from the hand he held out to her to his face and asked herself what would Takeru do? The answer came to her in the form of intuition and she half-heartedly shook her head and took his hand. "Rika."

Akira smiled. Paw wanted to scoff at them but was cut off when a rumble from the distance rapidly grew louder and the entire building began to shake dangerously.

"Oh." Paw groaned. "Not her. Couldn't you have called someone _else_?"

Akira swiftly picked Rika up into a piggyback before she could protest and from his pocket he took out a small black pouch of coins. "Nope, has to be her. Here, for your trouble." He said, dropping it into her open paws and left.

"No trouble at all." Paw replied, instantly happier and she bounced the pouch with some satisfaction.

The rumbling thundered to a halt, the inn stopped shaking and there was a deep loud wheeze from outside. They stepped out the front door to a monstrous blue machine waiting for them. Thin black smoke blew out of the double yellow pipes that ran along its sides. Rika looked over Akira's mess of hair at the Digimon the size of a locomotive, feeling a little intimidated by its red eyes that glared aggressively ahead. As they stepped toward it, a chunk the size of a door of the Digimon's side transmuted into steps leading up and into the creature.

It was like a doctor's office inside the Locomon like Digimon; Rika scanned her surroundings; it was typical with a cluttered desk, swivel chair, a couple of beds, medicine cabinets and a cart of surgical tools. There were no windows but it was still brightly lit from overhead. The compartment also seemed to be divided by a long gray curtain.

"Let's go GrandLocomon!" a woman's voice called from behind the curtain. The steps reassembled themselves into the side of GrandLocomon and there was a slight jerk to kick start a rather smooth journey. They could barely hear the thundering engine.

Rika jumped against Akira's back when the curtain was forcefully thrown aside and a dark haired young woman who seemed to be in her early twenties emerged, forcefully yanking the curtain back into place again.

"It's so good to have you back." She said with a cheerful smile and then she noticed Rika. "And you've…brought home a stray."

Akira lowered Rika onto the nearer bed and introduced them. Then Rika watched as Akira gave Jaarin a certain familiar look and Jaarin seemed to dismiss whatever questions she must have had and plopped into her swivel chair. She rolled over and shook Rika's hand happily.

"Pleasure. I see you're new here, so…" Jaarin pulled the surgical cart over with surprising speed and grace that Rika jumped and shrunk back fearfully.

"Just a quick check-up. It's routine." She said, smiling cheerfully. Rika shrunk back even more, mentally cursing her weak body and her inability to fend her off. "Let's see…"

"Hey!" yelped Rika and she tugged her t-shirt back down before flinching when pain spiked through her body from where she had crash landed the day before.

"Come, come, could be a broken rib." Jaarin chirped and pried Rika's hands away. She noticed Rika's eyes dart over to Akira. "Oh don't worry about him. It's your first time, trust me, you'll want someone around when I'm in reach of a scalpel."

Akira nodded and shrugged simultaneously and looked away. "Where're the twins?"

"I sent them on a rather _long_ errand. They're driving me up the wall with their bickering."

The corners of his lips twitched into a smile that was made brief when Rika asked, "I'm not in the DigiWorld anymore, am I?"

"No dear," Jaarin smiled, not the creepy kind but a gentle one, and reached over Rika's shoulder to touch the metal wall and it transformed into a wide window. A blinding white light flooding the compartment like a flash and it was gone, replaced with a view of a pale desert and a gloomy purple sky clear of any clouds. In the distance and coming in fast was a patch of forest and in the middle of it was a gray mountain.

"You're in the Digital Planes; or more specifically you are now in Sector 0…and that would be our home."

Jaarin pointed to the castle that was carved into the mountain. It wasn't exactly picturesque but the sight of their home gave her chills; it awed her and scared her at the same time and they were approaching it fast. Soon GrandLocomon was charging uphill on the mountain path. As they got higher, Rika could see more and more of Sector 0 but there was nothing more to see. Purple sky and barren land stretched till they met at the horizon. There wasn't another oasis or mountain in sight and in the sky, Rika noticed a tinge of light, a faraway blur of red, orange and white.

"There you go. All done!" Jaarin chirped with that bright smile of hers. Rika looked down; feeling quite relieved to see she was still clothed and astonished at how transfixed she had been on the view that she did not notice Jaarin had bandaged her chest just below her breasts and her right upper arm.

"Nothing to worry about, nothing broken, just a bad bruise and a few scrapes." She said. Rika nodded mutely. Jaarin reached over to restore the window back to its original form and got up. The train eased to a stop and another loud blow of smoke outside and the door opened.

A black carriage waited for them, pulled by a blue skeleton of what could resemble a sort of enormous winged sabre tooth tiger.

"Got to go." Akira said and made a move to leave when Rika suddenly cried out a little too loudly.

"Wait!" she yanked on his arm so forcefully that he almost fell on her and immediately dropped her voice into a frantic whisper, "You're leaving me with…? She's…" Rika glanced at Jaarin, who was cleaning her desk and pulled out a machete from under the mess. Rika looked at Akira almost pleadingly; although she knew Akira to be her abductor, there was the fact that Akira was very much like Takeru, except a little less charming but she would still rather stick with him than the scary doctor.

"She's harmless and she'll take care of you. She's just in really high spirits today because everyone's coming home soon." He said with little emotion.

Rika felt a little worried. "There're more of you?"

Akira pulled her hand away. "You'll see. Just stay on the mountain. I have to go now, I'll be back tomorrow."

Rika nodded reluctantly. Jaarin waved goodbye and they watched as the carriage disappeared downhill. Then she clasped her hands together with a clap and turned to Rika, smiling. "You must be hungry." She said.

Rika pursed her lips grimly and nodded again slowly.

----

The recording playback ended after Azulongmon's voice. It ended with a push of the same button and the blond man who had pushed it leaned back into his chair in deep thought. The blonde woman sitting beside him stood up.

"Begin traces for the old world." She ordered and the scientists bustled with a sudden hurry. "It was no ordinary wormhole this Akira Kaito had used, but it is a wormhole nonetheless. There has to be traces. This could be our big break." She said to the blond man who nodded.

"Good job." He praised and pushed the voice recorder across the table toward Alice and Suzie, across the table that had 'HYPNOS' engraved in the middle.


End file.
